PennDOT Suggests School Safety Tips for Parents, Students, Drivers

As the 2011-2012 school year nears, parents and students should prepare for school bus safety with help from PennDOT, while motorists review school bus traffic laws.

PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch, P.E. offered tips to help keep children safe on and off the bus.

“Children can be distracted by the excitement of returning to school and reuniting with their classmates,” Schoch said. “Parents and students need to talk about being safe while traveling to and from school.”

Parents should discuss the following safety tips with children returning to school:

• Get to the bus stop five minutes early to avoid having to run to catch the bus;
• If crossing the street to board the school bus, be sure to look left-right-left to see that all cars have stopped;
• When waiting for the school bus, stay at least five wide steps away from the curb or roadway to avoid traffic;
• Avoid the “School Bus Danger Zone” by staying at least 10 wide steps away from the bus on all sides so the bus driver can see you. If you drop something near or under a bus, be sure to tell the driver before trying to retrieve it;
• Never walk behind the school bus;
• When getting on and off the bus, secure drawstrings on coats and other loose items so they cannot get caught in the handrail or door;
• Talk quietly while on the bus so the driver is not distracted; and
• Remain seated at all times and wait for the bus to fully stop before standing up to exit.

If your child walks to school, he or she should avoid using cell phones or wearing headphones, which can be distracting when walking near traffic. If walking in low light or dark conditions, children should wear bright colored clothing or reflective tape strips to be seen.

It's not only the parents and children who need to prepare. Motorists also play a role in school bus safety and should follow the laws to prevent accidents.

“So that everyone can make it safely to their destination, motorists are reminded to pay attention to students as they board and exit buses, and to obey traffic laws regarding school buses and school zones,” Schoch said.

Pennsylvania law says:

• Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended.
• Motorists must stop when they are behind the bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
• Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.
• If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.
• Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.
• Under state law, motorists approaching a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended must stop at least 10 feet from the bus. Motorists approaching from all directions are required to stop. However, drivers who encounter a school bus stopping on the opposite side of a divided highway are not required to stop. Lanes of a divided highway are clearly separated by a divider, such as concrete barriers or grass medians.

Drivers who violate the school bus stopping law face a $250 fine, five points on their driving record and a 60-day license suspension if convicted.

For more safety suggestions and information, visit the School Bus Safety section of PennDOT's website, and check out the interactive graphic detailing when and where vehicles should stop for school buses.